Smile-on News

Smile-on News

Dentist struck off after poor practice caused “actual harm”

8 June 2015

John Edward Hammond, a dentist with an address in Swansea has been struck off the register following a GDC hearing into allegations of misconduct relating to his time at Park Road Dental Practice in Loughborough.

In cases involving two patients, Mr Hammond was alleged to have failed in, amongst many things, conducting full extraoral and intraoral examinations, taking routine bitewing radiographs, conducting basic periodontal examination and failure to treat a periodontal abscess over a period of 10 years. He also failed to cooperate with the GDC in their investigation on seven separate occasions across the two cases.

In their determination, the GDC’s Professional Conduct Committee said: “Mr Hammond’s poor practice over a long period of time ultimately resulted in actual harm. The Committee also took into account the absence of any mitigating factors and that there was no evidence of insight whatsoever.

“The Committee has concluded that a period of suspension would not reflect the seriousness of Mr Hammond’s misconduct, which is fundamentally incompatible with professional registration. It determined that patients would not be adequately protected and public confidence would be undermined if a period of suspension were to be imposed on Mr Hammond’s registration.”

Mr Hammond now has 28 days in which to appeal the decision before he is erased from the register.